Notes on non-nominal systems: Generator system limping along with a now-nominal routine.

Generator (hours run): 13h 53min

Generator turned off, charging battery at 8:02

Generator turned on at 19:25

Solar— SOC

@ 08:38: 30%

@ 04:41: 99%

Diesel: It can’t be measured. Explained in general notes and comments.

Propane: 97%

Ethanol Free Gasoline (5 Gallon containers for ATV): 4.75 Gallons

Water (trailer): 125 Gallons

Water (static): 200 Gallons

Trailer to Static Pump used: No

Water (loft) – Static to Loft Pump used: Yes

Water Meter: 01299134 Gallons

Toilet tank emptied: No

ATVs Used: None

Oil Added? No

ATV Fuel Used: – Gallons

# Hours the ATVs were used today: –

Notes on ATVs: ATVs were nominal.

Deimos rover used: No

Hours: 101.8 h0

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: –

Currently charging: Yes

Sojourner rover used: Assigned to director only.

Hours: Director discretional hours

Beginning charge:

Ending charge: –

Currently charging: Maybe

Spirit rover used: No

Hours: 12.1h

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: –

Currently charging: No

Opportunity rover used: No

Hours: 5.5h

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge:

Currently charging: No

Curiosity rover used: No

Hours: 39h

Beginning charge: 100%

Ending charge: –

Currently charging: Yes

HabCar used and why, where? No

General notes and comments: Since the diesel level indicator does not work it can’t be measured. It looked to be almost empty, that’s the reason today we got a refill of 15 gallons. It is expected that it can be repaired in the coming days.

Summary of internet: All nominal

Summary of suits and radios: All nominal

Summary of Hab operations: All nominal

Summary of GreenHab operations: All nominal

Summary of ScienceDome operations: All nominal

Summary of RAM operations: Not Operational

Summary of health and safety issues: Given the presence of clouds during the morning and with little possibility of charging the battery of the solar panels, adding to this the small amount of diesel, the crew decided to follow protocols to save electricity for the night.

However, we received a diesel refill on time and the solar panels got the light from the sun sufficient to let the batteries be charged.

Questions, concerns, and requests to Mission Support: We are looking for a small buzzer to use as an alarm for the level sensor of the water tank. Any idea where to find it?

When we lived in Peru, Colombia, and Mexico, the days passed like simple hours where our biggest worries have no place on Mars. Since we arrived on this planet we realized that the food would be better than expected, in large part by our chef. But today in the morning we discovered that our bags and cans of food are disappearing faster and faster.

Although according to calculations we will manage to keep our stomachs almost full before having to return to home. If there is one thing we are sure of, it is that when we will be back in our home, we will have learned to value much more what we have because on Mars we take advantage of every grain of rice even the last. It is possible that in the next few days we use a system of tasks and chocolate exchange for food rations.

We know that with our provisions we can still give ourselves certain luxuries such as continuing to eat meat for six days, being able to make bread for another five and taking hot soups for the cold days that ahead.

We decided to divide the cupboard according to the food we can eat daily because, in fact, 80 percent of our conversations are about the food we could prepare and the desire for fast food we feel. The bascule already shows results in some of us.

The cold was also the protagonist in the seventh Sol. It seemed that the energy systems would not be enough to sustain us for the rest of this day and the next. According to mission control, there is a high probability that rain and snow will be present in the area, so in Sol 8 we prefer to stay in the habitat to continue with the projects.

After an episode of approximately two Earth hours, we have managed to recharge our fuel tank in order to maintain electricity in the habitat. Balance: two crew members bathed in diesel for what of course they took advantage taking their respective shower.

Without success, we have been able to achieve the goal of watching movies at night. “With faith” today we can watch some film accompanied by popcorn or canchita although at the time we are already listening to a sound coming from our stomachs so we wait for the culinary delights of the crew scientist.

A week away from this desert planet we prefer not to think about how classic and boring our routines may seem. We miss you Earth, but not so much.

Narrative: Today the crew had a short EVA. All the main goals were successfully attained. The EVA consisted of taking aerial and ground footage of the MDRS campus. The images were taken by the Spark drone used by the crew. The footage was taken at altitudes of 20, 25, 40 and 50 meters above ground level. Images will be provided with the daily reports. The EVA window requested was 2 hours, but the activity lasted 35 minutes. The two members of the expedition were using Exo Suits.

Today we decided to start a little late and sleep one more hour because yesterday everybody looked tired after the activities involved to have a home on Mars and do an excursion, so at 08:00 everybody was in the lower deck to do exercises led by Tania, she made us do real exercises! Then we ate cereals for breakfast.

During the day, I met every Martian in order to know how their projects going on. Their projects have different kinds of topics like augmented reality applications, space suit simulators, communication, psychology tests, agriculture, astronomic pictures, and so on.

Today, Danton and I had our EVA to create a 3D Map of the MDRS. It’s splendid the pictures and videos that you can get using a drone.

Until now, this day was the most terrestrial day that we ever have since we arrived at Mars, when we realized that we were almost out of diesel, we activated our protocols of emergence turning off everything that is possible to turn it off (the power of the Greenhab of course not!); allowing to charge the batteries using the solar panel as soon as possible. We were planning to use the energy that we got at night, moreover, we were willing to sleep in the Greenhab because is warm and we wanted to transmit our heat to the plants. We are on Mars; we have to take care of every plant that we have. Fortunately, Shannon arrived at 15:20 and saved our Martian lives with 15 gals of diesel. Every Martian worked together to accomplish the vital activity to refill the tank with diesel and we got it! There are a lot of probabilities to have a stormy day tomorrow and now we are ready for it!

Days before the crew listened a woman yelling, today talking with Shannon about it and the mountain lion’s footprints that we saw in El Dorado Canyon; we can say that we are not alone in the MDRS, around us there are cougars (they yell like a woman).

What a crazy day! … Now every Martian is writing their reports for Capcom, then we are going to eat a dinner together and start to plan our next EVA for Sunday because, for the weather, tomorrow will be inside the Hab.

We want to visit El Dorado canyon again!

Ad Astra,
Cynthia F. P.
Commander Crew 187

Look Ahead Plan:

Tomorrow, every Martian will work on their science project.
Anomalies in work:

The diesel tank was almost over. We refill it with 15 gals more that Shannon brought us.

When we lived on Earth the movies always showed the Italian chef throwing the pizza through the air looking like it is possible with moderate difficulty. Pizza with chicken, meat, and cheese is possible on Mars, but could we call it homemade? What is our home now?

After a thorough survey of the crew, we found that family, friends, manners, pets, and food have become part of the constant thoughts before closing our eyes at night. Although on the other hand and at the same time the Earth so far has left us free to habit this planet and again, what is our home now?

But these landscapes and conditions cannot be wasted so for the second time since our ship crossed the Martian skies a team of our astronauts has come out to conquer an unnamed canyon in these lands for which we intend to name as Latin American legend, a mystical and mythological city that would awaken the curiosity of visitors, El Dorado.

Our Dorado was more than a rock formation and showed evidence of life in ways that according to recent studies are physically similar to what on Earth is known as cougars and deer. We do not want to go ahead but it could have been a lunch scene in the afternoon. Adrenaline was in the air. However, the crew acted cautiously and left the site to avoid close encounters of the third type

After a long day the somewhat tired crew has worked all afternoon in their respective areas to advance the projects and meet their objectives so that when the day to return to the blue planet come, we can return victorious and just as Earthlings and now Martians.

About The MDRS

The Mars Desert Research Station in the Utah desert was established by the Mars Society in 2001 to better educate researchers, students and the general public about how humans can survive on the Red Planet. It is the second Mars analogue habitat after the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station was established in 2000.

Over 181 crews of six-person teams have lived in two week field visits at MDRS to simulate life on the Martian surface. Researchers and students alike have explored the Mars-like terrain in the area surrounding the station in full “spacesuits”, maintained the station’s systems, grown plants in the GreenHab to support themselves and even recycled their waste water.

Our activities at MDRS are not only about informing the public, but also conducting real research to bring humanity that much closer to the reality of human exploration on the planet Mars.

Annual field seasons at MDRS run approx. October through May. Anybody can apply to be on a crew, and we also need volunteers to help with the project.